Buenos Aires, January 29 (NA) — The statements by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in which he questioned the celibacy of Jesus Christ, have sparked a strong controversy with the Church of that country. The Colombian leader asserted that Jesus "made love", possibly with Mary Magdalene, which provoked the reaction of the Catholic Church and evangelical communities, who described his words as "disrespectful" and "theological frivolity". The episode occurred last Tuesday during the signing of an agreement for the recovery of the San Juan de Dios hospital in Bogotá. There, Petro, who defines himself as a non-practicing Catholic close to Liberation Theology, stated that "a man like that, without love, could not exist" and that Jesus "died surrounded by the women who loved him, and there were many". Through a harsh statement, the Colombian bishops reminded that the figure of Jesus is not only historical but also divine, and demanded institutional respect. The Church accused the head of state of distorting the biblical and theological truth that sustains the faith of millions of Colombians. The Episcopal Conference cited the 1991 Constitution and the Law of Religious Freedom to warn that "no official is called to issue theological concepts on the convictions of citizens". The bishops urged to avoid "frivolity" when referring to sacred topics and recommended the president and citizens to consult the Catechism before making public judgments.
